Marking machine



May 9, 1939.

H. E. ELLIOTT ET AL MARKING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet l y 1939. H. E. ELLIOTT ET AL 2,157,200

MARKING MACHINE Filed July 2; 1936 -8 Sheets-Sheet 2 y H. E. ELLIOTT ET AL 2,157,200

MARKING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.5.

"ifLIIIII y 9, 1939- H. E. ELLIOT-r ET AL 2,157,200

MARKING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 9, 1939.

H. E. ELLIOTT ET AL 2,157,200

MARKING MACHINE s Shets-Sheet E Filed July 2, 1936 y 3 H. E. ELLIOTT ET AL 2,157,200

MARKING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet MARKING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 a Sheet-Sheet 'r y 9, 1939- i H. E. ELLIOTT ET AL 2,157,200

MARKING MACHINE Filed July 2, 1936 a Sheets-Sheet a Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHQE MARKING MACHINE Application July 2, 1936, Serial Ne. 88,680 In Great Britain July 19, 1935 Claims.

This invention relates to marking machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 48,961, filed on November 9, 1935, in the name of H. E. Elliott.

In order to make a mark comprising a double row of characters by the use of a marking head of no greater width than has been necessary heretofore to make a single row of characters, the marking head, as disclosed in the abovementioned application, has been provided with pairs of disks, each pair having an aggregate width equal substantially to the width of one character, and each disk having type-carrying projections extending from its periphery and arranged to overlap the periphery of the other disk so that when the disks are in assembled relation the projections on one are in peripheral alinement with those on the other. In the abovementioned machine, a series of pairs of marking disks and the disks of each pair are yieldingly held together in assembled relation by means including a spring against the resistance of which,

5 when one disk of any pair is to be reset, the other of that pair is separated from that being reset, in order to permit their type-carrying projections to pass each other, by the interaction of cams formed on the inner surfaces of the disks of each pa1r.

One object of the present invention is to facilitate the resetting of a marking disk in a machine of the type referred to above by relieving the above-mentioned cams of the necessity of opposing a spring pressure when separating the marking disks. To this end, the invention provides, in connection with a series of rotatably mounted marking disks, means comprising an actuator for selectively rotating the disks to reset them and yielding means for normally holding the marking disks together, and means for relieving the yielding pressure between the marking disks when one is to be reset. In the illustrated machine, the means for relieving the yielding pressure between the marking disks is operated by mechanism actuated by movement of the actuator into engagement with a marking disk to be reset, which actuator subsequently is swung peripherally of the disk to reset the disk by rotating it through the angle between successive type-carrying projections on the disk.

During the resetting of the right-hand disk of any pair, for example, in a machine of the type in question, those disks at the left of it are dis placed laterally to permit the type-bearing projections or" the adjacent left-hand disk to be passed without interference by the disk being reset; but the disk being reset and all those to the right of it are positively locked against movement to the right. Similarly, when a left-hand disk of any pair is to be reset, those disks to the left of it are locked against displacement to the left but those to the right of the disk to be reset are displaced laterally. In view of the foregoing and in order to prevent disassembling of the dis placed marking disks when one is reset, it is another object of the invention to control those disks which are displaced laterally with respect to the others when one disk is reset, whereby any possibility of the disks becoming disassembled or turned or any interference to the resetting of the selected disk is avoided.

Pursuant to this object, another feature of the invention comprises means operated by the abovementioned second movement of the actuator to permit displacement of those marking disks opposite to the disk being reset at substantially the same rate and to the same extent as the camming action between those disks of that pair one of which is being reset, whereby the group of disks which are displaced laterally with respect to the others will be held together in intimate contact throughout the resetting operation although the yielding pressure normally existing between them is relieved. This feature of the invention insures that the marking disks, notwithstanding their separation at one locality, will be held in intimate contact with each other elsewhere although the yielding pressure between them which normally holds them together is relieved, as mentioned above, throughout the resetting operation.

The above-mentioned selective locking of the disks against displacement toward one side or the other of the marking head during a disk resetting operation and the positive locking of the marking disks against any lateral displacement during a marking operation is effected by locking means controlled by a control member having a limited swinging movement and carrying plates one of which, when the control member is swung to either side of a neutral position, unlocks the marking disks at one side of the head, the disks at the opposite side of the head being locked.

In order to insure against unintended starting of the machine as by accidental treadling, the invention contemplates the provision of safety devices which prevent the treadling of the machine under certain circumstances, such as before the operation of resetting a marking disk is completed or so long as a guard disposed in front of the marking head is raised to permit access to the head.

To this end, the illustrated machine includes stop mechanism operated by either the abovementioned control member or the guard for preventing the movement of the treadle-operated means by which a marking operation is initiated whenever the control member is moved away from its neutral position or the guard is moved away from its operative position.

The setting of the marking disks is preserved by a series of locking members or pawls, one pawl being provided for each pair of disks and each pawl being adapted to enter a gap between and to engage adjacent type-bearing projections of its corresponding pair of disks. That pawl corresponding to a disk being reset is retracted from the disk during the resetting operation; but upon its completion the pawl is released and moves into its operative position under yielding pressure. If, owing to the resetting operation being incompleted, the pawl is not released or if, even though released, the pawl is prevented from moving into its operative position on account of interference with a projection of a marking disk, treadling of the machine is prevented by means,

constituting another feature of the invention, ac-

tuated by any pawl when retracted and cooperating with the previously mentioned control member, for preventing movement of the control member into its neutral position. Thus, the possibility of making a mark the characters of which are misalined is prevented because the control member cannot be moved to its neutral position to permit the machine to be treadled unless all of the projections of the marking disks are in alinement with each other and the above-mentioned pawls are in their operative positions.

It is customary, in the operation of marking machines employing a web impregnated with ink or carrying another form of marking substance, to move the web once for each marking operation in order to present a fresh portion of the web to the action of the marking head for each marking operation. Another object of the present invention is to minimize the likelihood of strain or breakage in the web owing to the usual abruptness of its feed movement. Invention is therefore to be recognized in the provision of a work support, a marking head movable toward and away from the support to mark a workpiece thereon, a web carrying a marking medium, and interrelated means for operating the marking head and drawing the Web from its source of supply in two stages per cycle of the marking head. In the illustrated machine, the means for drawing the web is operated once just before the marking operation and again immediately after the marking operation and before the end of the cycle. Accordingly, the required amount of feed may be imparted to the marking web at substantially less speed and hence with less strain than if a single actuation of the web per cycle of the marking head were relied upon to provide the required feed movement.

These and other features of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an illustrative machine embodying the invention as viewed from the left;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the illustrative machine as viewed from the right;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the illustrative machine;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, partly in section and at an enlarged scale of a part of an ink-webfeeding mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional plan View of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4, the section being taken on the line V--V in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation and at an enlarged scale of the clutch tripping mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation at an enlarged scale of a toggle device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of a reciprocating work-supporting mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a side view, partly in section, of the said work-supporting mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line XX in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a section on the line XIXI in Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an alternative form of work-supporting mechanism;

Fig. 13 is a view in plan at an enlarged scale of the marking head and mechanism for resetting the marking disks;

Fig. 14 is a view in elevation of the righthand side of the marking head and resetting mechanism illustrated in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a view in side elevation partly in section of the marking head and disk resetting mechanism;

Fig. 16 is a view in rear elevation of a part of the marking disk resetting mechanism;

Fig. 17 is a view in rear elevation of mechanism for locking the marking disks;

Fig. 18 is a detail view in side elevation of a part of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1'7;

Fig. 19 is a plan view of supporting and looking mechanism for the marking disks;

Fig. 20 is a view in side elevation of a part of the marking-disk-setting mechanism;

Fig. 21 is a plan view of an auxiliary marking member illustrated in Fig. 14; and

Fig. 22 is a view in perspective of a pair of marking disks.

The illustrated machine comprises a marking head I0 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the type disclosed in application Serial No. 48,961, filed November 9, 1935, in the name of H. E. Elliott, the marking head In being mounted for movement toward and away from a work support to mark a workpiece placed thereon, it being understood that the present invention contemplates the use of either a horizontally reciprocating work support l2 or a relatively fixed work support M (Fig. 12). Any of the well-known methods of marking may be carried out in the use of the usual machine; that is, impressions may be made merely by bringing the marking head I0 when heated into engagement With the work directly, or the marking head [0, heated or not, may press a web It (Fig. 3) against the work, the web being impregnated with ink or carrying a metallic marking substance or other suitable marking medium. The marking head I0, as herein illustrated, is moved toward and away from the work support substantially vertically with a parallel motion and to this end is mounted on a carrier l8 (Fig. 2) pivoted at its lower end to a lever 20 which is fixed on a shaft 22 mounted for oscillation in the machine frame 24. The carrier 18 is pivotally connected at its upper end by means of a hollow shaft 26 to a link 28 mounted to swing on a stud 30 fixed in the frame 24. The lengths of the lever 20 and link 28 between the points where they are connected to the carrier I8 in the frame 24 are equal; and the heightwise distance between the shafts 22 and 3B is equal to that between the shaft 26 and the pivotal connection between the carrier I8 and the lever 26. Thus, the marking head III is mounted to move with a parallel motion and is operated by connections comprising a lever 32 rotatably mounted on the shaft 30 and having an arm 34 pivoted at 66 to an eccentric strap 36 driven byan eccentric 46 on a drive shaft 42. An upwardly extending arm 64 of the said lever is arranged to engage a plunger 66 mounted to slide in a recess 61 the upper part of the link 28 in which recess is housed a spring 48 the tension of which may be adjusted by a nut 50 threaded in the recess 41. The spring 48, acting through the lever 32, normally holds a shoulder 52 on the lever 32 against a similar shoulder 54 on the link 28. Thus the marking head Ill will be positively raised from the work support but may be held against the work support with an adjustable yielding pressure and with an adjustable dwell during the period when the shoulders 52, 54 are separated owing to the provision of the yielding connection afforded by the spring 48 between the bell crank 32 and the link 28, the adjustment in each instance being facilitated by the nut 50.

The drive shaft 42 is driven from a countershaft 56 having a pinion 56 which meshes with a gear 66 fixed to the drive shaft 42. The countershaft 56 is driven from a belt-driven pulley 62 rotatably mounted on the shaft 56 through a clutch mechanism of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,124,620 granted January 12, 1915, upon the application of A. E. Jerram. In the stopped position of the machine a member 64 (Figs. 3 and 6) of the illustrated clutch mechanism, which corresponds to the member I64 of the structure disclosed in the above-mentioned J erram patent, engages a shoulder on an arm 66 of a bell crank lever 68 pivoted at 10 to a casing 12 of the clutch. When the machine is to be started the arm 66 is moved downwardly out of engagement with the member 64, thereby allowing the latter to swing to the right (Fig. 3) and permitting the clutch to close under the action of springs to effect a driving connection between the pulley 62 and the countershaft 56. The arm 66 is thus drawn downwardly by a treadle-operated rod I6 which is pivoted at 15 to the lower end of a latch 16 having a hooked end I8 which is urged toward the end of the arm 66 by a spring 8!) connecting the latch '56 and the bell crank 68. The latch '16 and rod l4 are also pivoted at 15 to an arm 82 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 84 to the machine frame 24 and having another arm 86 adapted to engage a rod 88 mounted to slide in the frame 26, as will be explained later, to prevent the machine from being treadled at certain times when the machine might be damaged if operated under power. When the treadle rod M is lowered against the resistance of a spring 99 which tends to hold the latch 78 in its position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6 and the machine is started, a depending arm 92 of the bell crank 68 is swung to the left and an arm 64 (Figs. 2 and 3) fixed to the shaft 22 moves upwardly beside the lower end of the arm 92 and prevents the arm 66 from rising under the influence of the spring 66 until the drive shaft 42 has made substantially a complete revolution, during which time the countershaft 56 makes three revolutions owing to a 3 to 1 ratio between the diameters of the gear GI] and the pinion 58. Toward the end of the revolution of the drive shaft 42 the arm 94 is swung downwardly and releases the arm 92 of the bell crank 68, thereby permitting the arm 66 to re-engage the member 64, which oscillates from right to left (Fig. 3) during each revolution of the countershaft 56, and hence to disengage the clutch.

The rod 88 is mounted to slide in a fixed bearing 96 into the path of the arm 36 so as to prevent the clutch from being tripped and may be thus operated as a safety measure in connection with a guard 98 (Figs. 1 and 2) normally positioned close to the work support I2 in front of the marking head Ill so that the operator's fingers cannot possibly be injured by the marking head during the operation of the machine. The guard 98 comprises a glass plate 99 mounted between arms I 60 which are pivoted to the frame 24 at I02 to permit the guard to be raised so as to provide access to the marking head. When the guard is so raised, by means to be described below, the rod 88 is moved into the path of the arm 86, thereby to prevent the machine from being treadled so long as the guard is in its raised position. To this end, the lower end of a lever I04 (Fig. 2) integral with one of the arms I is pivoted at I06 to a link I08 having a slotted end adapted to receive a pin I I6 extending from the upper end of a lever H2 pivoted at II4 on the machine frame 24. The lower end of the lever I I2 is bifurcated to receive a pin H6 fixed in the forward end of the rod 66. A spring H8 normally urges the rod 88 forwardly of the machine and yieldingly holds the pin H6 at the rearward end of the slot in the link The guard 98 may be held in its raised or lowered position by means of a latch I26 car ied by the upper end of the lever I04 and adapted to enter any of a series of slots I22 in a plate E22 fixed to the upper part of the machine frame. It will now be apparent that as the guard 68 is raised the link I66 is moved forwardly and causes the lever IE2 to move the rod 88 against the pressure of the spring II8 into the path of the arm 66 (Figs. 3 and 6) positively to prevent the treadle rod M from being lowered and the clutch from being tripped.

Further insurance against misoperation of the machine is afforded by the provision of means for preventing the machine from being accidentally started as the result of lowering the guard 66 if at that time the operator should unintertionally be pressing on the treadle of the ma chine. To this end the rod 88 has on one side a wedge surface I26 (Fig. 6) which, as the rod is moved rearwardly, as for example when the guard 96 is raised, swings downwardly an arm I28 rotatably mounted on the shaft 86. The arm I28 is connected by a linkISEl to the latch TF6 so that when the arm 128 is moved downwardly the latch is moved away from the arm 66 whereby the latter is prevented from being moved to trip the member 64 if the latch l6 were to be lowered. The arm I28 has pivoted thereto a pawl 32 from which extends an arm I36, the latter being connected by a spring I36 to the latch 16 whereby the pawl I32 is yieldingly held against the outer surface of the bearing 96. During rearward movement of the rod 66 its wedge surface i26 causes the arm I28 and pawl I32 to be moved downward until the latter engages a shoulder I 36 on the bearing 96 thereby causing the latch E6 to be held by the link I66 in inoperative position. If subsequently the rod 88 is moved for wardly as the result, for example, of lowering the guide 98 and also if the operator at this time is pressing on the treadle, even though the arm 82 may be moved downwardly as soon as the rod 88 has been moved out of the path of the arm 80, the clutch will not be tripped because the latch 56 is held out of engagement with the arm 6% by the link I30. However, continued downward movement of the arm 82 will cause a pin 40 on the latch I6 to engage the arm I34 and unlatch the pawl I32 thereby permitting the spring 02 to hold the latch I6 against the arm 66 so that not until after the treadle has been fully raised again alter being accidentally operated will its depression cause the clutch to be tripped.

The illustrative machine may be provided with the relatively fixed work support I4 (Fig. 12) or the sliding work support I2 (Figs. 1 and 8 to 11, inclusive) which moves from a position in front of the marking head rearwardly to carry a workpiece beneath the marking head.

The work support I4 includes a fiber block I42 yieldingly supported by a rubber cushioning pad E44 which allows the block I42 to yield slightly under the pressure of the marking head I0. The support M has a depending stem I46 which is slidingly mounted in a sleeve I48. The sleeve 448 is slidingly mounted in the machine frame 24 and may be adjusted Vertically to adjust the height of the support I4 by turning a nut 650 threaded on its upper end and resting on the machine frame. The nut I50 is prevented from rising by a key E52 secured to the machine frame and rotation of the sleeve I48 is prevented by a key I5 received in a slot in the machine frame and a groove I56 in the sleeve I48. The sleeve may be clamped in adjusted position by a screw 358 which passes through a split portion of the frame and through the key I54.

If the fingers or hand of the operator become jammed between the marking head I9 and the work or for any other reason the machine is stalled, the support may be quickly lowered without loss of its heightwise adjustment. For this purpose a pair of toggle links I60, I62, the op posite ends of which are seated in blocks in the sleeve MS and stem I46, are pivoted at their adjacent ends to a bar I64 which may be moved rearwardly to collapse the toggle I60, I62. The bar IE4 is pivoted at I66 to an arm I68 secured on a shaft H0 rotatably mounted in the machine frame. The shaft I70 also has secured on it a crank E22 by which the shaft I70 may be rotated. When the crank H2 is swung upwardly from its position shown in Fig. 12, the bar I64 is drawn rearwardly, the toggle is broken rearwardly, and the support I4 is quickly lowered. Such movement of the crank is limited by the engagement of a stop face I'l4 on the crank with a pin llfi fixed to the machine frame. When the table is in its operative position as shown in Fig. 12, the toggle I60, I62 is broken slightly forwardly and marking pressure on the table holds the forward end of the bar I64 against the inside of the sleeve whereby the table is prevented from moving downwardly.

The reciprocating work support 12 has secured to it a fiber block I78 (Fig. 8) which is yieldingiy supported against the pressure of the marking head I0 by a rubber pad 80. The work support is carried by a slide I82 which is slidingly mounted in a guide way I84 formed at the of a downwardly extending stem I86 which may be mounted in the machine in place of the above-mentioned sleeve I48. Heightwise adjustment of the support I2 is efiected by turning the nut I50 which is adapted to receive the stem I86. The stem E86 has a keyway which receives the plate I 54 to prevent rotation of the stem and it may be clamped in adjusted position by the screw I58. The slide I82 is reciprocated to carry a work-piece from a position in front of the guard 98 to another directly beneath the marking head by a link I00 (Fig. 1) which at one end is pivoted to the rear end of the slide and its other end is connected to a lever I90 pivoted at I92 to the machine frame. The lever 90 has pivotally connected to it a link I 94 which is pivotally connected to a cam lever I96 mounted to swing on a stud E98 secured in the machine frame. The cam lever I96 has on it a cam roll 200 received in a cam groove 232 in a cam 204 secured to the shaft 42. The cam groove 202 is so shaped that during each rotation of the shaft 42 the work support I2 is moved rearwardly to carry a workpiece beneath the marking head I0 before the head descends and then forwardly after the work-piece has been marked.

he work-piece is clamped to the support I2 as it moves rearwardly by a pair of bars 206, 206 (Figs. 9 and 10) which press the work-piece at each side of the marking head against inclined faces 28, 200 on the support I2 so that the workpiece is firmly gripped on the support and at each side of the marking head is pressed below the upper face of the support I2 and is thus prevented from being damaged by the web I6 if that is inked or by any parts of the machine as the marking head descends. The bars 206, 206 extend forwardly from brackets 2H1, 250 which are slidingly mounted on. studs 2I2, 2I2 secured to the support I2 and are pressed downwardly by springs 2 I4, 2 I4 which are adjustable by means of nuts 2I6, 2E6 threaded in the brackets 2I9, 2I0. The brackets 2H}, 2I0 have extending from them bifurcated lugs 2E8, M8 adapted to receive pins 220, 220 extending from H-shaped arms 222, 222 (Fig. 8) pivoted to extensions 224, 224 from a plate 226 secured to the support I2. The pins 220, 220 have rotatably mounted thereon cam rolls 228, 228 arranged to engage cams 230, 230 formed on a bar 232 fixed to the support I2. As the support 52 moves rearWa-rdly the cam rolls 228, 228 travel down the cams 230, 230 and allow the springs 2I4, 2I4 to press the bars 206, 206 against the work-piece; and as the support I2 moves forwardly the cam rolls 229, 228 travel up the cams 230, 230 and raise the bars 206, 206 so that the marked work-piece can be removed and a fresh work-piece can be placed on the support I2.

The provision of a reciprocating support of the type described above on which a work-piece is clamped and which carries the work-piece beneath the marking head It tends to minimize the risk of the operators hands being inadvertently trapped between the marking head and the work-piece or between other parts of the machine and the support since there is no necessity for the operators hands to approach these parts. The guard 98, which is preferably provided when either form of work support illustrated herein is used, and the devices hereinbefore described whereby under certain conditions the machine is prevented from being operated, also tend to prevent injury to the operator.

To assist in properly positioning a work-piece on the support I2 two pins 233, 233 project above the upper surface of the support, one at each side of the plate 226, these pins being adapted to be engaged by the forward edge of the workpiece. The pins 233, 233 extend upwardly from the rear ends of bars 234, 234 slidingly mounted beneath the upper surface of the support 12. The bars 234, 234 have slots 235 through which pass screws 236, 236 (Fig. 8) which hold the bars up against the lower side of the support but permit the bars to be adjusted lengthwise to vary the position of the pins 233, 233. The bars 234, 234 have depending forward ends 238, 238 to facilitate their adjustment.

The web 16 which may be impregnated with ink or carry a metallic marking substance or other suitable marking medium is wound in a supply roll indicated at 246 (Fig. 3) and is pressed against the work-piece by the marking head 16 to impress the desired mark on the work-piece. The roll 246 is mounted on a spindle 242 rotatably mounted in a bracket 244 which is secured to the right-hand side of the carrier 18. The roll 241] is held between a flange 246 (Fig. 2) which is adjustable along the spindle 242 by means of a nut 248 threaded on the spindle and another flange 266 which is locked in position by a pawl 262 which engages ratchet teeth (not shown) on the spindle. The roll 248 is thus clamped between the flanges 246, 258 and may be positioned on the spindle 242 so that the web 16 passes directly beneath the marking head 16 by adjustment of the flanges 246, 256 along the spindle. Rotation of the spindle 242 is resisted frictionally in order to keep the web 16 taut by means comprising a collar 253 which is keyed to the spindle and is pressed against the bracket 244 by a spring 234 engaging the collar and also engaging a nut 256 threaded on the spindle 242. The spring 264 also causes a collar 258 fixed to the spindle 242 to press against the bracket 244.

The web 16 is led from the supply roll 248 about guide rolls 268, 262 rotatably mounted on the bracket 244 close to the carrier 18, thence under the marking head 13 and later between a feed roll 264 and a presser roll 266 (Figs. 3 and 5). The feed. roll 264 is secured on the forward end of a shaft 268 (Fig. 5) which is rotatably mounted in a casing 218 fixed to the carrier 18, the shaft having secured on its rear end a pinion 212. The presser roll 266 is rotatably mounted on a stud 214 in a carrier 215 swinging from an arm 216 which is integral with the casing 210. This carrier 2 15 is urged by a spring 218 to cause the presser roll 266 to hold the web against the feed roll 264. The pinion 212 is driven by a gear 266 secured on a shaft 282 which is rotatably mounted in the casing 216.

In order to minimize the feeding strain on the web 16, the feed roll 264 is operated in two separate steps but at a lower speed than would be possible if only one feed movement of the web per impression of the marking head were made. In the illustrative machine the feed roll 264 is operated once to bring a fresh portion of the web 16 under the marking head 18 immediately after it has been raised from the work and again just before the next impression is made by mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel 284 the teeth of which are engaged by two pawls 286, 288 (Fig. 4) which are pressed against the ratchet teeth by springs (not shown). The pawls 236, 288 are pivoted on arms 298, 292 respectively which are independently pivoted on the shaft 282 and the arms are pivoted to the lower ends of links 234, 296 the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to a shaft 298 mounted to rock in a lever 308 pivoted at 302 (Fig. 1) to the casing 218. The lever 3110 is oscillated by a link 3114- which is connected to an arm 366 pivoted at 308 to the machine frame'24. The arm 306 has pivoted to it one end of a rod 3| the other end of which is pivotally connected to a lever 312. The lever 312 is pivotally connected at 314 to a cam arm 316 pivoted at 358 to the machine frame. The cam arm 316 is oscillated by connections comprising a cam roll 320 on the arm 316 and adapted to run in a cam groove 322 in a cam 324 secured on the shaft 42. In order to vary the feeding movement of the web 16, the lever 312 is provided with an adjustable fulcrum block 326 adapted to be held in any desired position of adjustment in an arcuate guideway 328 in the lever 3l2. To this end. the block 326 is pivotally mounted on one end of an arm 330 of a bell crank lever which is pivoted at 332 to the machine frame; and the other arm 334 of the bell crank lever carries a clamp bolt 336 passing through an arcuate slot 338 in a bracket 341) secured to the machine frame whereby the fulcrum block 326 may be held in any desired position in the guideway 328. As the cam arm 316 is swung by its cam 322 forwardly and rearwardly during a single rotation of the shaft 42 the lever 312 is rocked on the pivot of the block 326 and through the rods 316, 364 swings the lever 368 first rearwardly and then forwardly. The swinging of the lever 306 first raises the links 294, 296 (Fig. 4) and causes the pawl 288 to rotate the ratchet wheel 284 in a counterclockwise direction, and then lowers the links and causes the pawl 286 to rotate the ratchet wheel in the same direction. Each of these rotations of the ratchet wheel 284 causes the web 16 to be fed, and the cam groove 322 is so formed that one movement of the ratchet wheel and web occurs not only while the marking head 16 is being moved down but also when it is being moved up, as stated above. The cam groove 322 is so formed that the feeding movement of the web is interrupted while the marking head is making an impression on the work. The distance through which the web 16 is fed during each of its feeding movements is controlled by moving the bell crank lever 336, 334 to adjust the position of the fulcrum block 316 with respect to the guideway 328 in the lever 312.

In order to prevent the web feeding mechanism from being operated owing to relative movement between the carrier 18 and the machine frame 24, the link 3114 is made the same length as and parallel to a line between the centers of the shafts 26 and 30 (Fig. 2).

When the paper has passed between the feed roll 264 and the presser roll 266 it is wound up by a spindle 342 (Fig. rotatably mounted in the casing 218. The spindle 342 has on its forward end flanges 344, 346 and adjusting means, similar to the flanges 243 and 250 and their adjusting means as described above. The spindle 342 is rotated by a frictional overdrive comprising a pinion 348 rotatably mounted on the spindle and connected to the gear 286 by an idler pinion 350 rotatably mounted on a screw 352 secured in the casing 218. The pinion 348 is pressed against a flange 354 on the spindle by a spring 356 confined between a collar 358 keyed on the spindle and a nut 360 threaded on the spindle so that the spindle is frictionally driven. The pinion 348 is driven at a speed somewhat faster than that of the shaft 268 to tor by a gage 316 (Fig. l).

insure that the web will not accumulate between the feed roll 264 and the spindle 342.

The marking head 16 comprises a plurality of pairs of marking disks 362 (Fig. 22), of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned application, rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft 364 supported at its ends by brackets 366, 366 (Fig. 19) which are fixed to arms 368, 363 formed integral with the carrier [8. The hollow portion of the shaft 364 is adapted to receive an electric heating unit (not shown) for heating the disks 362 the temperature of which is indicated to the opera- When one of the disks 362 is rotated to change the setting of 3 its marking characters, all of the disks at one disks 362, each ring having projecting laterally from it three pins 374 arranged to slide in the brackets 366 and connected at their ends by a three-armed member 376. The members 316 are engaged at their centers by the forward ends of levers 318 pivoted at 366 to the arms 368, the rear ends of the levers 313 being urged apart by a spring 382 which surrounds telescoping rods 384 which pass freely through the ends of the levers 318 but have lock nuts 386 threaded thereon and adapted to transmit the yielding pressure of the spring 382 to the levers 376. Thus, the effect of the spring 382 is normally to cause the rings 312 to hold the marking disks 362 close together. Further, the disks 362 are positively held against each other during the marking operation by means of stop plates 388, 398 fixed to a control shaft 392 rotatably mounted in the carrier l8, the plates being adapted to engage the ends of rods 394 mounted to slide in the carrier I8 and being pivotally connected at 396 to the rearmost ends of the levers 318.

Moreover, it is to be understood that in the illustrated machine, as in the case of that disclosed in the above-mentioned application to which reference may be made for a complete description of the marking disks 362, the separation of the disks 362 of that pair of which one disk is being reset is effected by the interaction of cams 3T9 extending from their inner surfaces, and that when the right-hand disk is reset by being rotated all of the disks to the left of it are moved axially of the shaft 364. Similarly, when the left-hand disk 362 of any pair is reset, all of the disks to the right of the disk being reset are moved to the right axially of the shaft 364. In order to permit this movement of the disks one or the other of the rings 372 is permitted to move axially of the shaft 364 when one of the marking disks is to be reset.

To this end, the control shaft 392 is adapted to be rotated in opposite directions from a neutral position, in which it is illustrated in Fig. 15, to remove one or the other of the stop plates 388, 396 from engagement with the cooperating rods 394. A segmental gear 398 (Figs. 2 and 14) fixed to the shaft 392 is arranged to mesh with another segmental gear 466 fixed to a shaft 462 mounted to rotate within the shaft 26 by which the carrier I8 is mounted on one of its supporting links, the gear 466 being provided opposite to its v 369 of its corresponding pair of disks.

toothed portion with spaced shoulders 464 adapted to cooperate with a pin 466 fixed in the carrier 8 to limit the movement of the gear 466 and hence the shaft 392. Upon swinging a crank 468 fixed to the shaft 462 in a clockwise direction (as when a left-hand marking disk 362 of any pair is to be reset) until one of the shoulders 464 abuts the pin 466, the shaft 392 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction and causes the plate 396 (Fig. 15) to be swung downwardly away from the end of the adjacent rod 394 so as to permit the right-hand lever 3'18 (Fig. 3) to swing away from the marking disks 362, thereby permitting the right-hand ring 312 to move to the right; and, similarly, if it is desired to reset the right marking disk of any pair, the crank 468 is swung to the limit of its movement in a counterclockwise direction, thereby to cause the plate 388 to be swung upwardly away from the end of the adjacent rod 394, and hence to permit the left-hand lever 313 to release the left-hand ring 312 and also the marking disks 362 to the left of the disk which is to be reset.

Insurance against accidental treadling of the machine while the marking disks 362 are being reset is provided by mechanism including a link 4l6 (Fig. 2) pivoted at 412 to one side of the gear 398 and having its other end slotted to receive the pin H6 on the lever 2. It will now be apparent that when the crank 468 is swung toward either side of its neutral position preparatory to resetting a marking disk the link 4l6 will be moved forwardly and will cause the rod 88 to be moved rearwardly to control or prevent the tripping of the clutch in the same manner as described above in respect to the movement of the guard 98.

When it is desired to change the setting of the right-hand disk of a pair of marking disks 362, the crank 468 is first swung to the limit of its movement in a counterclockwise direction and then a crank M4 is rotated in a clockwise direction one revolution for each step between successive projections 369 on the marking disk when it is desired to move the marking disk. The crank 4 I4 is fixed to a shaft 6 rotatably mounted in a yoke 4|8 (Fig. 15) having depending arms pivoted at 426 to the sides of the carrier l8 concentrically with the shaft 364 which carries the marking disks 362. The yoke M8 is oscillated when the crank M4 is rotated by a cam 422 (Fig. 14) adapted to engage the sides of a forked member 424 fixed to the carrier I8. The movement of the yoke M8 is transmitted to the selected marking disk 362 to be reset by one of a series of actuators 426 which are pivotally mounted on a shaft 428 extending between the arms of the yoke 418, the actuators being disposed in heightwise alinement with the adjacent pair of marking disks 362 and each actuator having a tooth 436 adapted to enter a gap 432 between adjacent projections All of the actuators 426 except that corresponding to the selected marking disk to be reset are yieldingly held in an inoperative position, that indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 15, by leaf springs 434 bearing against the tails of the actuators and clamped against the base of a control bracket 436 (Fig. 16) mounted to swing about the shaft 428. The inoperative position of the actuators 426 is determined by their engagement with a shaft 438 which is threaded in the control bracket 436 and has a single tooth 446 which is moved from one actuator 426 to the next as the shaft 438 is rotated through one revolution by a crank l2 and which, when in its lowermost position, holds the selected actuator below the others just above the adjacent gap 432. The bracket 435 comprises a forked member 442 between the sides of which is disposed a cam 444 fixed in the shaft 4H3 which is rotated when the crank 4% is turned. Accordingly, when the right-hand disk 352 of any pair is to be reset and the crank M4 is rotated in a clockwise direction (Fig. 14), the selected actuator 426 (Fig. 15) is first swung into the gap 432 by the operation of the cam 444, whereupon the cam 322 causes the yoke 4H3 to swing forwardly of the machine and to move the selected marking disk through the angle between successive projections 369. Before the reverse movement of the yoke M8 begins the cam 444 will have caused the tooth 435 on the selected actuator did to be removed from the gap 432 so that upon. a rearward movement of the yoke 4 I 8 the actuators 426 move idly out of engagement with the marking disks.

If a left-hand disk 362 is to be reset, the yoke M8 is first swung by the earn 322 to the extreme of its forward movement before the selected actuator 426 is moved into the gap 432, whereupon the cam 444 swings the bracket 438 about the shaft 428 to move the tooth 436 of the selected actuator 426 into the gap 432; During the rearward n1ovement of the yoke M8 the selected actuator 426 first rotates the left-hand marking disk being reset through the angle between successive proj ections on the marking disk and then is moved out of the engagement with the marking disk.

As stated above, the marking disks 352 are normally pressed together by the spring 882. In order to minimize the wear on the cams (not shown) on the marking disks which effect their separation when a disk is to be reset and also to minimize frictional resistance to the resetting of the marking disks, means are provided in the illustrated machine for relieving the pressure of the disks against each other throughout the resetting operation. This means includes a wedgeshaped cam 448 (Figs. 13 and 15) secured to an extension 45! of the bracket 43%. At each side of the earn 448 and slidingly mounted on a rod 452 connecting the sides of the yoke M8 are sleeves 454 the adjacent ends of which are adapted to be engaged by opposite sides of the cam 448. Each of the sleeves i st has mounted thereon a roll 455 which, when the control bracket 436 is swung to move the cam M8 rearwardly of the machine, is moved into engagement with arcuate cams 4558 (Figs. 13 and 14) mounted on levers 46!] arranged to pivot about horizontal axes on studs 462 fixed in the carrier 58. Each lever 46E] has a depending arm 364 which is pivotally connected to one of the above-mentioned rods 384 (Fig. 19).

When the shaft M5 is rotated in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 14 to reset the righthand one of a pair of disks 362, the bracket 43% is, as hereinbefore described, first swung in a direction to bring a tooth 43%! of a selected one of the actuators 426 into the gap 332 before the yoke 4H3 moves forwardly. During this movement of the bracket 436 the cam M3 is swung rearwardly and moves the sleeves 454, 454 outwardly along the rod 452. As a result of this movement of the sleeves their rolls 456, 456 engage the cams 458, 458 and move the lever arms 564, 45 i and hence the rods 384 inwardly, causing the nuts 385 to be moved away from the clamping ievers Sid and the spring 382 to be compressed, thus relieving the pressure between the disks 352. When the shaft 416 is to be rotated to reset a right-hand marking disk the plates 383, 396 will have been moved, as described above, into such a position that the right-hand locking lever 3% is prevented by the plate 39!] from moving so as to prevent its associated ring 312 from moving outwardly and the left-hand locking lever 3'58 is free to move to permit lateral movement of the disks to the left of the disk to be rotated. The left hand earn 458, as will be seen in Figs. 3 and 13, is recessed rearwardly of an inclined portion indicated at 466 so that when its roll @55 is moved outwardly it moves the left-hand lever 4% only enough to move the left-hand nuts 3% away from the left-hand clamping lever 318. The shape of the right-hand cam 458, as will be seen in Fig. 13, is such that when its roll 458 is moved outwardly it moves the right-hand lever 460 so far that the right-hand nuts 386 move inwardly a distance which is sufficient to allow the forward end of the arm 518 to swing freely outwardly, when it is allowed to do so, a distance which is a little greater than the width of the projections on the disks 362. The disks 352 are therefore, on the commencement of the rotation of the shaft tie in a clockwise direction, relieved from the action of the spring 382 by the inward movement of the left-hand nut 386, but, since the right-hand clamping lever tilt is positively held against movement by the plate 395, the disks cannot move to the right along the shaft 364; and since the lefthand nuts 38% have been moved only a small distance away from the left-hand clamping lever 318 the disks can, prior to the forward swinging movement of the frame M8, move only slightly on the shaft 364 toward the left. The disks can therefore at this time separate only very slightly along the shaft 354 and any such separation will not be sufficient to allow either of the disks at opposite sides of the disk with which the tooth 430 on the selected actuator lit is in engagement from moving along the shaft see into engagement with the tooth 435i, and hence preventing forward movement of the actuator frame l3? since, as will hereinafter appear, all of the disks except that to be reset are prevented from rotating at this time.

When the yoke M8 is moved forwardly by rotation of the shaft M6, the left-hand cam roll 356 engages the inclined face 456 on the left-hand cam 458 and, just as the disk 352 being reset commences to separate from the adjacent disk under the influence of their cams, moves the arm of the left-hand lever 4% inwardly and moves the left-hand nuts 385i farther away from the left-hand clamping lever 3N5 a distance which just allows the aforesaid disks to separate freely without their cams having to compress the spring 382. At the end of the forward movement of the yoke m the tooth 43!) is as hereinbefore described, moved out of engagement with the marking disk 362 just reset and at the same time the cam 348 is moved forwardly, permitting the lefthand levers iiiil to swing inwardly, permitting the spring 382 to expand and, through the lefthand clamping lever 3'53, to clamp the disks 352 together again.

As the yoke M8 approaches the end of its forward movement and before the tooth is removed from the gap 432, the right-hand roll Q55 travels along an inclined face 468 on the right hand cam 458 and allows the right-hand nuts see to be moved by the spring 382 nearly into engagement with the right-hand clamping lever 318.

It is to be understood, however, that, since the right-hand rod 394 is held against axial movement by the plate 390 when the yoke M8 is swung forwardly to rotate a right-hand disk 362, the action of the right-hand cam 458 during this movement plays no part in controlling lateral movement of the disks. When the yoke M8 is swung rearwardly during the latter part of its oscillation to rotate a left-hand disk, however, the right-hand rod 394 will be free to move axially, as will hereinafter appear, and the left-hand rod 394 will be held against axial movement by the plate 388 so that the right-hand cam 458 then replaces the left-hand cam 458 in controlling lateral movement of the disks.

When it is desired to reset the left-hand one of a pair of disks 362, the shaft 392 is rotated by swinging the crank 408 forwardly to remove the plate 390 from engagement with the right-hand rod 384 so that the right-hand lever 318 is free to move and the left-hand clamping lever 318 is prevented from moving by contact of the lefthand rod 394 with the plate 388. The shaft M6 in this case is rotated in a counterclockwise direction and at the end of the forward movement of the bracket 436 the tooth 430 is moved into the appropriate gap 432 by the cam 444. At the same time the wedge-shaped cam 448 is moved rearwardly and the right-hand nuts 386 are moved slightly away from the right-hand clamping lever 318 when the right-hand roll 456 engages the recessed portion of the right-hand cam 458. The disks are now relieved from sidewise pressure by the spring 382 and, as the actuator frame 4| 8 moves rearwardly to rotate the selected disk 362, the right-hand roll 456 moves along the inclined face 468 and, just as the disk being reset is separated from its adjacent disk, moves the right-hand nuts 386 farther from the right-hand lever 318 so that the disks can freely separate as they are rotated. It will be realized that the relieving of the pressure which normally clamps the disks together is similarly effected when either a right-hand or a left-hand disk of a pair is reset.

In order to prevent the operator from accidentally turning the crank M4 in the wrong direction when it is desired to reset one of the disks 362, the illustrated machine includes mechanism actuated by the crank 408 which allows the crank M4 to be turned only in the proper direction, depending upon whether a right-hand or a lefthand disk 362 of a pair is to be reset. To this end, when the crank 40B is swung rearwardly preliminarily to the resetting of a right-hand disk 362, a link 410 (Fig. 14) pivoted at 412 to the segmental gear 398 is moved forwardly to move a pawl 414 into engagement with a ratchet wheel 416 fixed on the shaft 4l6, whereby counterclockwise movement of the shaft M6 is prevented. The pawl 414 is mounted on a lever 418 pivoted on a stud 480 fixed in one side of the yoke H8 and has pivoted to a downwardly extending arm substantially concentric with the marking disks 362 a block 482 having a bore adapted to receive the link 410. Movement of the link 410 is imparted to the lever 418 by springs 484 which are arranged to abut the opposite ends of the block 482 and are seated against washers 486 fixed to the link 410. It will now be apparent that, owing to the yielding connection between the link 410 and the lever 418, although the pawl 414 may be held against the ratchet wheel 416, the shaft 6 may nevertheless be rotated in a clockwise direction in order to reset a right-hand marking disk 362. If, on the other hand, a left-hand marking disk is to be reset and the crank 408 is swung forwardly, the link 410 is moved rearwardly to cause a pawl 488 opposite to the pawl 414 to engage the ratchet wheel 416 and hence to prevent the shaft 4l6 from being turned except in a counterclockwise direction. It will also be understood that when the crank 408 is in its neutral position neither the pawl 414 nor the pawl 488 is in engagement with the ratchet wheel 416; but movement of the shaft M6 is prevented by the fact that the levers 318 positively hold the marking disks 362 against separation, which must occur if any is to be reset, by the engagement of the ends of the rods 384, 364 with the stop plates 388, 390.

In order to prevent the rotation during the resetting operation of all of the marking disks 362 except that to be reset, stop pawls 400 (Fig. 15), one for each pair of marking disks, are slidingly mounted in the carrier l8 at the rear of the marking disks and have teeth 462 which are normally yieldingly held within a gap 432 between adjacent projections on each pair of marking disks by leaf springs 494 fixed to the carrier l8 and adapted to bear against the ends of the pawls 496. Mechanism will now be de scribed by which that pawl 490 corresponding to a disk 862 to be reset is retracted from the disk to permit its rotation by one of the actuators 426. Each pawl 498 is grooved at 496 and a tooth 498 slightly narrower than the pawls and formed on the lower end of an arm 500 is adapted to enter the grooves 496 and to slide from pawl to pawl in the grooves 496 when in alinement with each other. The arm 530 is mounted on a shaft 502 (Fig. 17) which is rotatably and slidably mounted in the carrier l8 and is adapted to be moved axially so that the arm 500 always engages that stop pawl 490 which corresponds to the selected actuator 426 which is engaged by the tooth 446 on the shaft 430 at that time. To this end, a plate 504 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 502 between collars 506 fixed thereto and is provided with an arcuate slot 508 (Fig. 18) through which passes the lefthand end of the shaft 438. A collar l0 (Fig. 17) fixed to the shaft 438 is spaced from and cooperates with the hub of a crank M2 by which the shaft 502 is rotated to cause the plate 504 to move laterally to the same extent that the shaft 438 moves axially owing to its threaded connection with the bracket 436 when the tooth 446 is brought opposite to the actuator for a selected pair of disks. When the bracket 436 is swung as described above to move the selected actuator 426 into the gap- 432, either before the yoke M8 is swung forwardly to reset the righthand disk 362 or at the end of the forward movement of the yoke MS, as when a left-hand disk is to be reset, the shaft 438 is swung downwardly so that during the swinging movement of the yoke 4l8 either forwardly or rearwardly a tooth 5M (Fig. 18) on the shaft 438 engages the upper end of an arm 5l6 which, through connections to be described later, causes the locking pawl 460 corresponding to the marking disk being reset to be moved out of the path of the projections on this marking disk. The arm 5|6 is pivoted on an extension 518 of the bearing 420 (Fig. 15) on which the yoke 4l8 swings and carries pins 520 adapted to operate a link 522 when the arm 5l6 is swung in either direction, the link 522 being pivoted to an arm 524 extending downwardly from and fixed to the shaft 502.

At the end of the movement of the selected actuator 426 in either direction, which causes a resetting of the marking disks 362, as the bracket 436 swings upwardly carrying with it the shaft 438, the tooth 5l4 is removed from engagement with the arm 5I6, thereby permitting the retracted pawl 466 to be moved to its operative position under the influence of its spring 494. However, if for any reason the resetting movement of the disk 362 is not completed and the pawl 499 is prevented from being returned to its locking position either by interference with a projection on the marking disk or by the continued engagement of the tooth 5 [4 with the arm 5! 6, safety mechanism now to be described positively prevents the operator from treadling the machine. This means comprises a locking lever 526 (Fig. 15) pivoted at 528 to the carrier l8 and which is engaged by the springs 494 behind the rear ends of all of the pawls 498 and is swung rearwardly, when any pawl is retracted, into one of the other of two recesses 536, 532 formed in the plates 388, 399, respectively. Thus the lever 526, when held within one of the recesses 536, 532 by a retracted pawl 490, prevents any rotation of the shaft 392 and hence movement of the crank 408 from the extreme position to which it will have been moved prior to a disk resetting operation. As explained above, movement of the crank 408 to either of its extreme positions causes the rod 88 positively to prevent treadling of the machine.

If the shaft 438 were to be rotated before the shaft 4|6 has been rotated through a complete revolution when the tooth 439. of the selected actuator 426 has been moved into the gap 432 and one of the pawls 498 has been retracted, damage to the machine might result owing to the groove 496 in the retracted pawl being out of line with the grooves in the remaining pawls and to the fact that the tooth 498 which is in the groove of the retracted pawl 498 would become jammed against the adjacent pawl.

In order to prevent rotation of the shaft 438 under these circumstances, the shaft 438 is arranged to be locked, in such a position that the tooth 446 is directed downwardly, by a pawl 534 (Fig. 20) pivoted on the shaft 428 and adapted to engage a notch 536 formed in the periphery of a collar 538 which is splined on the shaft 438. Before the bracket 436 is swung toward the marking disks 362 to move the selected actuator 426 into the gap 432, the pawl 534 is yieldingly held in the notch 536 by a spring 548 one end of which abuts an arm 542 connected to the pawl 534 and the other end of which is seated against a shoulder on the yoke 4l8. However, when the bracket 435 is swung to move the actuator 426 into the gap 432 the arm 542 is moved into engagement with the end of a stop screw 544 adjustably threaded in the yoke 4I8 whereby the pawl 534 is positively held within the recess 536 positively to prevent rotation of the shaft 438 during the setting of a marking disk.

In order to insure that the projections on the marking disks 362 will be in alinement with each other laterally of the marking head after the resetting of one or more of the marking disks has been effected, the illustrated machine is provided with an alining arm 546 pivoted at 548 on the lefthand side of the carrier is and havingacurved end 558 shaped to enter between the opposed inclined faces 55! of successive rows of projections 369 on the marking disks 362. The arm 546 is adapted to be held yieldingly against the marking disks 362 during the marking operation but is positively 'multaneously upon a work-piece.

retracted from the marking disks so as to allow them to be freely rotated during a resetting operation. The mechanism for thus operating the arm 546 includes a rod 552 (Figs. 1 and 7) pivoted at one end to the arm 546 and slidingly mounted at its other end in a block 554 pivoted at 556 to one side of a forked lever 558 mounted at 569 to swing on the carrier l8. The lever 558 is operated from the shaft 492 by a toggle one arm 562 of which is fixed to the shaft 482, the other arm 564 being pivoted to the lever 558 at 566. As the toggle 562, 564 is broken in either direction as a result of moving the crank 468 from its neutral position preliminarily to setting one of the marking disks 362, the lever 558 is swung forwardly and causes the block 554 to engage a shoulder 568 on the rod 552, whereby the arm 546 is positively withdrawn from the marking disks 362. When the crank 498 is again returned to its neutral position after the resetting of a marking disk has been completed, the toggle 562, 564 is straightened, thereby swinging the lever 558 rearwardly and causing the arm 546 to be yieldingly held against the marking disks 362 to aline them laterally of the marking head through a spring 510 which abuts the rear end of the block 554 and is held on the rod 552 by check nuts 512.

It is understood that by the use of the marking disks 362 alone the marking head I8 is adapted to impress two rows of marking characters si- In some instances it is desirable to mark the work with three or more rows of characters simultaneously. To this end the illustrated machine comprises an auxiliary marking member 514 (Figs. 15 and 21) having formed therein a recess with beveled sides 516 adapted to receive the projections 369 on the marking disks 362 so that the lower surface of the marking member 514 may be moved into the same plane as that of the characters on the marking head which extends through the member 514. The marking member 514 may have fixed thereto as many rows of marking characters as its size permits. The auxiliary marking member 514 has a slide 518 received in a guideway in a lever 58!] (Figs. 15 and. 1'?) which is pivoted at 582 to the carrier 18 so as to permit the marking memher 514 to be swung away from the marking discs 362 when they are to be reset. Such control of the marking member 514 is eifected by an eccentric 584 fixed to the shaft 392 against which the rear end of the lever 588 is held by a spring 586. It will now be apparent that when the crank 488 is moved to either of its extreme positions the eccentric 584 permits the spring 586 to swing the lever 580 so as to move the marking member 514 out of the path of the projections on the marking disks 362. The marking member 514 is releasably locked in the lever 588 by means of a latch 588 (Figs. 15 and 21) on one end of a bell crank 596 pivoted at 592 to the lever 58!].

In operating the machine, assuming that the disks have been set to print the proper legend and that the guard 98 has been moved down into its operative position, a piece of work will be positioned on the work support in contact with the gages and the treadle depressed. This will cause the work support to be reciprocated, clamping the work by the bars 206 and carrying it into a position beneath the marking head Ill. The marking head 48 will then move down into contact with the work by reason of oscillation of the carrier 4 8. As the head rises, the work support will return to its forward position and the work piece will be released. During this cycle of operation, the web l6 will be moved once before the impression is made and again, as the head is rising, before the completion of the cycle of the machine.

If the operator desires to reset the type disks, the guard will be raised and assuming that a right-hand disk of a pair is to be moved, the crank 408 will be moved away from the operator, thus allowing all disks to the left of the chosen one to be moved laterally. The crank 5l2 will be rotated to turn the screw 438 and shift the tooth 446 into alinement with the actuator 426 which is associated with the chosen disk. If, then, the crank H4 is rotated clockwise, once for each type space on the disk, the cam 422 will oscillate the yoke 4l8, carrying with it that actuator 426 which has been depressed and turning the corresponding disk a notch. During this time, the pressure on the disks will have been relieved by the action of a cam 448 so that the disks can move to the left slightly while at the same time a suflicient spring pressure is maintained to keep them from separating at other than the desired point. At the end of half of the oscillation of the yoke M8, the actuator 426 will be removed from the disks and the oscillation of the yoke 4I8 completed. This crank 414 can only turn in the proper direction because of the pawl 414 and the ratchet 416. All other disks except the one to be reset are held by the stop pawls 490. That pawl which normally prevents rotation of the disk being reset is removed therefrom by the arm 500 during this resetting operation and is returned into engagement with the disk at the end of the resetting cycle. If the pawl is not completely returned, then the lever 526 (Fig. 15) will prevent the crank 406 from being restored to its normal depending position. If the resetting has been properly completed, however, this crank will be brought back to its normal position and the disks will be alined by the curved end 550 (Fig. 2) of the lever 546.

It is impossible to treadle the machine while the guard is up and if the treadle is being held down as the guard is depressed, then it will have to be retreadled before the clutch is thrown in. Furthermore, the machine cannot be treadled while the disks are being reset because the link 4l0 operates to lock the treadle whenever the crank 408 is swung out of its normal depending position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, means for yieldingly holding said disks together against axial movement, and means for relieving the yielding pressure between the disks when one is reset.

2. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, means for yieldingly holding said disks together against axial movement, and mechanism operated by said first-mentioned means for relieving the yielding pressure between the disks when one is reset.

3. In a marking machine, a plurality of rol'atively mounted marking disks, means for resetting the disks comprising an actuator mounted for movement into engagement with a selected disk and peripherally thereof to rotate it, means for yieldingly holding said disks together against axial movement, and means actuated by movement of said actuator into engagement with said disk for relieving said yielding pressure.

4. In a marking machine, a plurality of rotatable marking disks, means for resetting said disks mounted for movement successively into engagement with a selected disk and peripherally thereof to rotate it, means for yieldingly holding said disks together against axial movement, connections between said disks for displacing from the disk being reset the remaining disks at one side thereof, and means operated progressively as said remaining disks are displaced for relieving the axial pressure between the disks throughout the resetting of the selected disk.

5. In a marking machine, a marking head comprising a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, resetting means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, 1";

members mounted to swing laterally of said head for controlling the axial movement of said disks, yielding means normally acting upon said members to cause said disks to be yieldingly held together, a cam lever associated with said yielding means, and connections between said resetting means and said cam lever for causing said yielding means to be compressed when a disk is reset whereby the pressure between said disks is relieved.

6. In a marking machine, a plurality of mark ing disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, disk resetting means for selectively rotating said disks, said disks having means thereon rendered operative by rotation of the disk being 1:"

reset to displace the remaining disks at one side thereof axially, members for controlling the axial movement of said disks constructed and arranged normally to hold said disks yieldingly together, and connections between said resetting means and members for moving that member adjacent to the displaced disks to the same extent that the displaced disks are moved axially.

'7. In a marking machine, a marking head comprising a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, disk resetting means movable successively into engagement with a disk to be reset and peripherally thereof to rotate it, said disks having means thereon for displacing from that disk being reset the a sure on the disks, and means for relieving the pressure of said yielding means and progressively limiting the displacement of that member adjacent to the displaced marking disks whereby the disks are held in contact with each other although the yielding pressure between them has been relieved.

8. In a marking machine, a marking head comprising a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, disk resetting means movable successively into engagement with a disk to be reset and peripherally thereof to rotate it, said disks having means thereon for displacing from the disk being reset the remaining disks at one side thereof, members disposed at the sides of said marking head for controlling the axial movement of said disks, and connections operated by said resetting means for progressively moving that member adjacent to said remaining disks away from said head as said remaining disks are displaced.

9. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, means for normally locking said disks against axial movement comprising members movable to permit axial movement of the disks at one side of that being reset, treadleoperated means for initiating a marking operation, and stop means actuated by said locking means for preventing the operation of said treadle means when said locking means is moved to permit axial movement of said disks.

10. In a marking machine, a marking head comprising a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, means for normally locking said disks against axial movement comprising members movable individually to permit axial movement of the disks at one side of that being reset, treadle-operated means for initiating a marking operation, a guard mounted for movement away from said head to permit access thereto, and stop means actuated by said guard or said locking means for preventing the operation of said treadleoperated means.

11. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, retractible locking pawls for said disks, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, means for normally locking said disks against axial movement comprising a manually operable control member, treadle-operated means for initiating the marking operation, means interposed between said locking pawls and said control member for preventing the return of the control member to a normal position when a pawl is out of locking position, and means between the control member and the treadle-operated means for preventing the operation of the treadle means when said control member is out of normal position.

12. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, means for locking said disks against axial movement comprising a control member adapted to be moved toward either side of a neutral position in which said disks are locked by said means against any axial movement, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, members for locking said disks against rotative movement, means for retracting that locking member associated with the disk being reset, and. means cooperating with said locking members to prevent the movement of said control member into its neutral position while any locking member is in retracted position.

13. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, members for locking said disks against rotative movement, means for retracting that looking member associated with the disk to be reset, a control member, treadleoperated means for initiating a marking operation, means operated by movement of said control member for rendering said treadle means inoperative, and connections between said locking members and said control member constructed and arranged to prevent the control member from being moved to render said treadle means operative when any locking member is retracted.

14. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, pawls arranged normally to prevent said disks from rotating, means for retracting that pawl associated with the disk being reset, means for locking said disks against axial movement comprising rotatable plates, a control member for rotating said plates to permit axial movement of said disks in one direction, and connections between said pawls and said plates arranged to lock said control member against movement whenever a pawl is retracted.

15. In a marking machine, a plurality of marking disks mounted for rotative and axial movement, pawls mounted and arranged normally to prevent rotative movement of said disks, means for retracting that pawl associated with a .disk to be reset, means for selectively rotating said disks to reset them, means for locking said disks against axial movement in one direction during the resetting of a disk comprising a plate having a recess, a control member for operating said plate, and a member adapted to be moved into the recess in said plate by the retraction of any pawl to prevent said control member from being moved while any pawl is retracted.

HAROLD ERNEST ELLIOTT. FRANK COLEMAN CHOICE. 

